The Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2024 NFL Draft on April 25 with eight picks over the three-day draft.
In an ideal world, the Raiders would’ve drafted a franchise quarterback in the first round on Thursday night. But the top six QBs were all off the board by the time the Raiders were on the clock at No. 13 and so the Raiders added a different offensive weapon in Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.
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In the second round, the Raiders addressed their needs along the offensive line by selecting Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, a player with guard/center flexibility. They stayed on the trenches in the third round and grabbed Maryland offensive tackle Delmar Glaze.
The Raiders finally addressed their defense in the fourth round Saturday, selecting Mississippi State cornerback Decamerion Richardson with the No. 112 pick and Ohio State linebacker Tommy Eichenberg at No. 148. After a long gap without a pick, the Raiders added to their offense again in the sixth round by taking New Hampshire running back Dylan Laube at No. 208. To wrap things up in the seventh round, the Raiders added two pieces to the secondary in Air Force safety Trey Taylor and Pittsburgh cornerback M.J. Devonshire.
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Round 1
No. 13: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
How he fits
To justify this pick, you have to think of Brock Bowers as a pass catcher, not strictly a tight end. When you consider Bowers’ versatility to go along with last year’s second-round tight end Michael Mayer, then it’s a major coup. The Raiders will need to go heavily out of 12 personnel to make this work. Great value but did Bowers fill a need?
That said, Bowers is a steal at this point. The first two-time Mackey Award winner as the nation’s top tight end, Bowers is a mismatch wherever he lines up — inline, the slot, the backfield or out wide. Few pass catchers find a way to get open like Bowers (6-3, 243) and his 8.5 yards after the catch in his three seasons at Georgia is rare for most tight ends. A first-team All-American for three years, including a unanimous choice in 2023, Bowers was prolific the day he entered Georgia. He finished with 175 catches for 2,538 yards (14.5 yards per catch) and 26 touchdowns. With a right hamstring issue, Bowers didn’t work out at his combine or pro day but that’s of no concern for NFL scouts. He was the best player on the field every time he stepped on it in college. — Scott Dochterman
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Dane Brugler’s analysis
Bowers is an explosive pass catcher who creates mismatches all over the field with speed, ball skills and competitive edge. He has NFL star potential in the mold of George Kittle, if he lands with a play caller prepared to feature his unique and versatile talent.
Tashan Reed’s analysis
Raiders draft Brock Bowers: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel
Grade: B+
GO DEEPER
NFL Draft 2024 Round 1 grades: Falcons, Broncos get Cs for Penix, Nix; Bears earn two A's
Round 2
No. 44: Jackson Powers-Johnson, G, Oregon
How he fits
The 2023 Rimington winner, Powers-Johnson is a terrific and powerful athlete who showed dominant flashes at the point of attack and in the second level as a run blocker. He dominated the Senior Bowl as just a junior, but there are hiccups here. Powers-Johnson has an injury history (including concussions) and isn’t very long — but this is a very, very tough football player and a guy who will advance the culture. Love this pick. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Powers-Johnson’s inexperience is reflected in his technique, but he offers a fantastic combination of size, athleticism and toughness, with the skill set that translates to both center and guard. His game reminds me of Ryan Kelly, who won the Rimington Award at Alabama before becoming a first-round pick in 2016.
Tashan Reed’s analysis
Raiders draft Jackson Powers-Johnson: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel
Grade: A
GO DEEPER
NFL Draft Rounds 2 and 3 grades: Eagles earn A for DeJean, Commanders get mixed reviews
Round 3
No. 77: DJ Glaze, OT, Maryland
How he fits
Las Vegas reached at this pick and missed on a few obvious needs here. Glaze (6-4, 315), who many scouts saw as a guard and probably a fourth-rounder, goes here in the third round. The Raiders have yet to address defense, which is what they needed coming into today. Glaze might develop into a starter, but his selection doesn’t match either need or value. — Scott Dochterman
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Glaze’s overaggressive tendencies and lack of explosive traits show on an island, but with his size, strength and smooth movements, a move to guard could be what is best for his NFL future. With continued development, he will compete for starting snaps.
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Vic Tafur’s analysis
Finally, a reach for need. Glaze is 6-foot-4, 315 pounds with great feet but needs to get stronger and polish up some stuff. Some scouts thought he would move to guard, but the Raiders announced him as a tackle. Brugler had him at No. 132 on his big board, rating him as the No. 11 guard in the draft with a fourth-round grade.
Grade: D
Round 4
No. 112: Decamerion Richardson, CB, Mississippi State
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Richardson’s inability to consistently make plays on the football is a red flag, but his size/speed traits and ascending talent are tools that defensive coaches will want to develop in the NFL. He projects as a developmental press-man cornerback.
Tashan Reed’s analysis
Richardson was No. 141 on Brugler’s big board. He’s 6-2, 188 pounds and ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash. He was a two-year starter in college. He didn’t have much ball production, but has all of the physical tools you look for in a press-man CB and is an excellent run defender. Richardson was an outside-only CB at Mississippi State. He played in a split-coverage scheme, so he has experience playing in a variety of different coverages. Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham mixes it up often, so that’ll come in handy.
Round 5
No. 148: Tommy Eichenberg, LB, Ohio State
Dane Brugler’s analysis
An above-average run defender, Eichenberg has quick downfield and lateral reaction skills with the physicality to work off blocks and stonewall ballcarriers as a tackler. He shows the skill set to be a functional zone dropper but tends to be late digesting all the routes happening around him, resulting in catches in front of him. Overall, Eichenberg isn’t a proven playmaker in coverage, but he understands pursuit angles and displays outstanding key/read/flow skills versus the run. He has the talent, football character and feel for the game to earn a starting job during his NFL rookie training camp.
Nick Baumgardner’s analysis
The Raiders found a potential Day 3 steal at linebacker down in the fifth round with Eichenberg. A two-time captain at Ohio State and one of the most serious defenders on the board, Eichenberg’s testing wasn’t great and he can be a bit stiff in coverage – but this is a very intelligent off-ball linebacker who loves football as much as anyone on the board.
Being a captain anywhere is a big deal. Being a two-time captain at a place like Ohio State is not nothing. This is a highly respected player who will do anything he’s asked at 100 miles an hour. And drag others along with him. You can see the culture Antonio Pierce wants to build inside that locker room in just about every pick so far. Toughness, no-nonsense football players.
Vic Tafur’s analysis
A physical player who lacks speed, Eichenberg led Ohio State in tackles in 2022. The inside linebacker is good at reading plays and making tackles, but will not be asked to drop back into coverage for obvious reasons.
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Round 6
No. 208: Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire
Dane Brugler’s analysis
A composed and dynamic receiving back, Laube is always in the right place at the right time on his routes and has the hand-eye coordination to cleanly snare throws while at top speed. Though he plays strong through contact, his burst and creativity are much better in the open field. Overall, Laube might not be a full-time running back or receiver in the NFL, but he has the multi-dimensional skill set that overlaps both positions and offers value on special teams. The Danny Woodhead comparison is a little on the nose, but it best encapsulates Laube’s versatile talent.
Vic Tafur’s analysis
Laube averaged nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards over four campaigns, scoring 46 total touchdowns. That includes four on kick returns. He twice returned kick 100 yards for scores and had punt return TDs of 92 and 58 yards.
Round 7
No. 223: Trey Taylor, S, Air Force
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Taylor — who frequently leans on his cousin, Ed Reed, for critiques on safety play — diagnoses play design well using his ability to sort through all the chess pieces and put himself in position to take away throws. However, his recovery speed will always be a question mark, and it might keep him as a subpackage/depth player at the next level. Overall, Taylor is quicker than fast and might have a tough time covering NFL receivers from the post, but his instinctive ball skills and feel for route concepts can help him overcome average range. He reminds me a lot of Damar Hamlin when he was coming out of Pittsburgh.
Tashan Reed’s analysis
Taylor had his best season as a senior last year with 74 tackles, five tackles for loss, seven pass deflections and three interceptions. He won the Jim Thorpe Award for the best DB in college football and was a first-team All-American.
No. 229: M.J. Devonshire, CB, Pittsburgh
Dane Brugler’s analysis
In off coverage, Devonshire can read through the route to the quarterback or stay in the pocket of receivers in man-to-man, using his long arms to challenge throws in his air space. However, his inconsistent anticipation and lack of disciplined technique will make it tough for him to stay in phase versus savvy route runners. Overall, Devonshire is more of an aggressive athlete than true instinctive ballhawk, but his linear burst, speed and length help him make plays in coverage. He is a developmental player with the tools to play man, zone and special teams.
(Photo: John Smolek / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)